1892 Drinks of the world

DRINKS.

282

and they take of the Leves of the Coca, and they chawe them in their Mouthes, and, as they go chavvyng, they goe minghng with it of that ponder made of the shelles in such sorte, that they make it like to a Paste taking lesse of the Ponder then of the Hearbe, and of this Paste they make certaine small Bawles'rounde, and they put them to drie, and when they will use of them, they take a little Ball in their niouthe, and they chawe hym ; passing hym from one pajte to another, procuring to conserue him all that they can, and that beyng doen, they doe retaurne to take another, and so they goe, using of it all the tyme that they have neede, whiche is when they travaill by the waie, and especially if it be by waies where is no meate, or lacke of water. For the use of these little Bawles doe take the hunger and thurste from them, and they say that they dooe receive substaunce, as though that they did eate. At other times thei use of them for their pleasure, although that they labour not by the waie, and thei do use the same Coca alone, chawing it and bringing it in their mouthes, from one side to another, untill there be no vertue remainyng in it, and then they take another." Garcia Lasso de la Vega, who wrote his Com^ mentarios Reales in 1609, gives a fine description of Cuca — which I take from his translator, Sir Paul Rycaut.

^' Of the pretious Leafe called Cuca."

** But above all we must not omit to discourse at large of the Herb which the Indians call Cuca, and